August 14, 2011 05:38 PM PDT

Breaking Bad Renewed For Final Season

Get More: News, Renewals

After protracted and tense negotiations with producer Sony Pictures TV, AMC has renewed Breaking Bad for a 16-episode final season.

According to TVLine’s sister site Deadline, the final batch of episodes — to be shot next year — may air together or be separated into two separate cycles.

With a pickup deal done, Sony is expected to begin talks with Bad showrunner Vince Gilligan, whose pact expires at the end of the Emmy-winning drama’s current fourth season.

“It’s a funny irony, I’d hate to know the date of my own last day on earth, but I’m delighted to know what Walter White’s will be — episodically speaking,” Gilligan said in a statement. “This is a great gift to me and to my wonderful writers. It’s knowledge which will allow us to properly build our story to a satisfying conclusion. Now,  if we don’t manage to pull that off,  we’ve got no one to blame but ourselves.”

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Comments (19)

  • 16? Damn this is going to be an epic final season.

    Comment by Randy Christian Lee – August 14, 2011 05:44 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Thank god that they were prevented from trying to cut the last season of Breaking Bad to a shortened last season. This way, they have time to end this story right. Can’t wait to see how this series will play out at the end.

    Comment by Cameron M – August 14, 2011 05:45 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Happy that it’s getting an extended final season, hopefully they go out with a bang. Going to miss this show so much.

    Comment by Sean – August 14, 2011 05:46 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • This is what we get because of all that Mad Men bs! …Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead (both better in my opinion)have/are going to suffer. Shame.

    Comment by V – August 14, 2011 05:50 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

    • Um, yeah… Breaking Bad is “suffering” by getting the final 5th season Gillian always envisioned, plus a 16-episode final order rather than the more usual 13 episodes. O the humanity!

      Comment by Simon Jester – August 14, 2011 08:10 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

      • And explain to me how something that’s been on for an uneven six episodes is better than something that’s already considered one of the best dramas to ever air.

        Comment by Nathan – August 15, 2011 06:39 AM PDT  Reply To This Post

        • What show has been on for 6 uneven episodes? this comment doesnt make sense

          Comment by Neil – August 15, 2011 04:44 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

          • walking dead, scattered story. it’ll be put to the test when it returns

            Comment by walter white – August 16, 2011 07:49 AM PDT  

  • Not to sound ignorant, but what does Mad Men have to do with it?

    Comment by Lily – August 14, 2011 06:09 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

    • It’s been recently reported that Matt Weiner’s most recent contract extension/restructuring and two season renewal of “Mad Men” was so costly that it’s causing AMC to try to cut costs in other places. In this case those places would be its other shows, particularly “Breaking Bad” and “The Walking Dead”

      Comment by Nathan – August 14, 2011 06:51 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

      • Giving them an extended season does not seem to me to be a cost-cutting measure. Plus, the intention, from almost day one, was to have 5 seasons. I’m not sure that I see the connection.

        Comment by Michael – August 15, 2011 04:57 AM PDT  Reply To This Post

        • Weiner’s extension is supposedly why they initially asked Gilligan and Sony to produce a 6-8 episode final season, as opposed to a normal 13. Sony then started sending out feelers to other networks, I’m guessing this is how they came to the 16 we’re at now.

          Comment by Nathan – August 15, 2011 06:37 AM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Excellent! Adore the show, but it’s definitely the right thing to go out on a high next year….

    I reckon there’ll be a Walt/Jesse showdown ultimately. :S

    Comment by Dani – August 14, 2011 06:10 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • I understand that shows usually die off after 5 or 6 seasons, but why the hell are they even going to cancel after season 5? This show wins awards and has only gotten better each and every season. The ratings are solid for cable and amc. I could see if the show was dying off, but seriously this show is one of the best shows and most realistic show on television. They must want space to put a new reality show for amc to get a few in their lineup. All of my favorite shows are ending. I am a little happy they know when it will be and they gave it a few more episodes. That is definitely better than amc cancelling it with 2 episodes left and no ending, but still very upset. I know this show would hold strong for at least 2-3 more seasons, easily!

    Comment by brutus – August 14, 2011 06:15 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

    • They’re not cancelling it. Vince Gilligan has been saying for years now he wants it to end at 5 seasons. I’m sure if they wanted another season, they’d find a way to make it work.

      Comment by Nathan – August 14, 2011 06:53 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • I love this show beyond all reason, and although I’m going to miss Walt and Jesse and everyone else, I think it makes SO much sense to give the show a nice finite conclusion. Breaking Bad is like reading a chapter of a great book each week that it’s on, and I will savor the 16 additional chapters that we are going to get!

    Comment by TV Gord – August 14, 2011 06:24 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

    • Vince Gilligan anticipated 5 seasons and has basically stuck to his goal. He obviously knows where he’s going with this and I’d much rather have 5 excellent seasons than 6, 7 or 8 that tapered off in quality towards the end. Cranston has said he doesn’t want that and Gilligan has said he doesn’t want to replicate what happened with The X-Files towards the end.

      It’ll be hard to let go of but I’d rather have DVDs to watch in the future knowing that the ending isn’t lame and watered down because they wanted too squeeze it out for a few more years. Other showrunners could learn lessons from Gilligan.

      Comment by Dani – August 14, 2011 06:28 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Nice to see that Vince Gilligan and co. are going out on their own terms rather letting the show become a shadow of its former self. I hope AMC decides to air all sixteen episodes together. None of that half-season that air a year apart bs that Syfy pulls with Eureka.

    Comment by Dean – August 14, 2011 07:01 PM PDT  Reply To This Post

  • Kudos to Vince Gilligan! :) He’s all about quality and not quantity. Plus, he really seems like a down-to-earth, prudent person. Looking forward to those 16 episodes!

    Comment by Sarabi – August 15, 2011 02:18 AM PDT  Reply To This Post

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